Windows VM Inside a Linux Docker Container

When it comes to creating reproducible and isolated development environments, two leading technologies reign: Docker and Vagrant. Docker facilitates containerization by bundling applications and dependencies together, making the applications platform-independent. On the other hand, Vagrant is a tool for virtual environments, allowing the creation and management of virtual machines (VMs). Running a Vagrant VM, particularly a Windows VM, inside a Docker container creates a unique combination that can offer remarkable benefits, especially in the field of Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Deployment (CD). 🔂 🚀

Today, we'll tap into an existing GitHub repository that demonstrates how to implement a Windows VM within this Docker/Vagrant setup. The repository can be found at the following URL: https://github.com/vaggeliskls/windows-in-docker-container

Prerequisites 📑

Before proceeding, the following tools should be installed on your system:

• Docker
• Docker-compose

How to Use It 🛠️

1. Create an environmental file .env with VMs specifications

# Vagrant image settings
MEMORY=8000 # 8GB
CPU=4
DISK_SIZE=100

1. Create a docker-compose.yml file

version: "3.9"

services:
  win10:
    image: docker.io/vaggeliskls/windows-in-docker-container:latest
    env_file: .env
    stdin_open: true
    tty: true
    privileged: true
    cgroup: host
    restart: always
    ports:
      - 3389:3389
      - 2222:2222

1. Run: docker-compose up -d

Remote Desktop 🖥️

For debugging purposes or testing, you can always connect to the VM with remote desktop software products. Some software that used when developed was:

• Linux: rdesktop IP:3389 or remina
• macOS: Windows remote desktop
• Windows: build in Remote Windows Connection

User login 👤

The default users based on vagrant image are

• Administrator
  • Username: Administrator
  • Password: vagrant
• User
  • Username: vagrant
  • Password: vagrant

Conclusion 👋

Running a Vagrant Windows VM inside a Docker container merges the benefits of Docker's platform-independent containerization with Vagrant's controlled, easy-to-manage development environments. Although such a setup won't fulfill every use case, understanding how Docker and Vagrant operate and interact is highly beneficial for DevOps professionals.

Remember, different configurations exist and this setup can be tweaked to suit specific application requirements. Be aware that running a VM inside a Docker container can be resource-intensive, so always check your system's specifications before proceeding. 📝

Happy coding!

References 📚

• Windows Vagrant Tutorial
• Vagrant image: peru/windows-server-2022-standard-x64-eval
• Vagrant by HashiCorp
• Windows Virtual Machine in a Linux Docker Container
• Windows GitHub action runner
• Windows in container